Should I tell one parish why I left it for another?

[debraran]

Hi, I have a question about switching churches. I know it’s okay to leave one church for another but what is the best way to handle questions from parishioners from your former church. I was not a good catholic before finding my present church, a reverent Dominican church where I felt like I did watching EWTN’s mass’s. I used to watch the shows and mass like someone on an IV, I was so hungry for something I wasn’t getting at my church. It was more “folky” and social and I just felt stale and starting avoiding it. Since my old church is struggling financially, the board is of course not happy with seeing anyone not attend. Should I just use mass times as an excuse or tell them the truth? I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I wont leave a place that I feel “at home”.
Thank you.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear d,

I think you mean parish when you say “church.” “Church” is a broader term that denotes the Lutheran or Methodist or Catholic. You have found a parish that better suits you. By all means tell them the truth, but in a polite way. You can tell them that you prefer quieter liturgies that emphasize God more than the congregation. They really do need to hear this—and often, until they begin to “get it.”

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.